Retail Design Leader

Impetus Executive; Dubai; On-site; AED 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Impetus Executive is seeking a Retail Design Leader to govern regional showroom and store designs across the Middle East, Africa and India, ensuring alignment with global brand standards while supporting regional sales goals.

You will design main store concepts, guide local agencies, and approve construction documents, with frequent site visits and strong CAPEX oversight. A high-impact leadership role in a fast-paced retail design environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Architecture or Interior Design.
• 7+ years in Retail Design and Store Planning, preferably luxury spaces.
• Experience designing luxury showroom environments and managing multi-site projects.

Responsibilities

• Govern brand guidelines and ensure regional stores align with global standards.
• Lead design reviews and approvals with agencies to maintain quality.
• Collaborate with Central Design Team and regional partners for approvals.
• Guide store layouts, display, and product placement to maximise sales.
• Oversee CAPEX budgeting and ROI alignment for design initiatives.

Skills

Brand governance

Stakeholder mgmt

Project leadership

Retail design

Education

Bachelor's degree in Architecture

Master's degree in Interior Design

Tools

AutoCAD

Revit

SketchUp

Job description

We are looking for a \"Retail Design Leader\" for our Global Client. The objective is to produce, govern, and authorize all showroom and store designs across the region,

ensuring every physical space strictly adheres to global brand standards while strategically supporting regional sales goals and optimizing CAPEX efficiency.

Primary Responsibilities:

1. Brand Governance & Quality

• Design Guardian: Ensure all Middle East and Africa & India store and showroom designs strictly adhere to global brand guidelines and visualstandards with flexibility to adapt to local markets needs.
• Central Liaison: Act as the key contact with the Central Design Team for securing design approvals and conveying regional needs.
• Design Review: Lead the rigorous review and approval of all design submissions from agencies to ensure design integrity and quality control.
• Brand guidelines: Establish a clear and easy structure of sharing brand guidelines and new releases/launches with concerned internal and external stakeholders.

2. Design Production & Guidance

• Design Creation: Design and produce the main store concepts, standard layouts, and fixture details internally for key projects.
• Agency Guidance: Work directly with local agencies to teach them the correct way to adapt and implement the standard designs for their specific sites.
• Final Approval: Have the final say on all design plans and construction documents before the local teams can start building.
• Building Advice: Advise the local teams and their construction partners on the best materials and building methods to ensure the final store matches the approved design.
• Site visits: Ensure physical presence for inspection to key locations and showrooms in key markets.
• Final Inspection: Check (audit) completed stores to confirm the local execution teams built everything correctly and fully compliant with the authorized design plans.

3. Business Alignment & Strategy

• Global Marketing: Work closely with Global Brand Identity and Brand Experience teams
• Sales & Marketing Partnership: Collaborate closely with Sales and Marketing to translate regional business strategies and product launches into effective store layouts.
• Product Selection & Display: Help decide which products should be displayed and guide agencies on how to arrange the store to maximize customer viewing and sales.
• CAPEX Oversight: Manage the design budget (CAPEX). Guide agencies to find cost-effective design solutions that look great but don't waste money, maximizing the return on investment.

Experience & Education

• 7+ years experience in Retail Design and Store Planning ideally having a strong background of designing luxury sanitaryware showrooms or similar industry (stand alone and multi brand)
• Experience managing projects across the Middle East and Africa & India region.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Architecture or Interior Design.

Core Skills

• Expert proficiency in design production software (e.g., AutoCAD, Revit, SketchUp).
• Ability to produce technical drawings and design specifications internally.
• Ability to adapt to a fast pace and agile design environment.
• Ability to run multiple projects simultaneously.
• Deep knowledge of construction, materials, and technical detailing for retail spaces.
• Proven ability to enforce brand standards and audit compliance across multiple external agencies.
• Have managed internal and external team members with direct reporting.

Business & Leadership

• Strong commercial mindset and ability to align design decisions with sales goals (CAPEX/ROI).
• Exceptional communication and influencing skills to guide non-reporting local teams and agencies.
• High level of cultural adaptability and sensitivity to work effectively across Middle East and Africa & India markets.
• Able to travel frequently to Middle East and Africa & India markets for alignment and support to local markets where and when needed.
• Able to present and communicate the brand standards and pillars to local partners and distributors.